[MOVIE] The Princess Bride (1987)

This movie should be watched, should be re-watched. It is so quotable, so hysterical, has so many great parts that when you start to quote them and when you realize you quoted the whole thing.

I still want to know how they did that scene when Buttercup falls in/under the sand during the Fire Swamp scenes. 

I LOVE the movies of that period, so much of love and soul. 

[Animation] Wyrd Sisters (1997)

When Duke Felmet murders King Verence and takes over the small country of Lancre on the Discworld, three witches are involuntarily tasked with protecting the king's baby son.

Wyrd Sisters is the animated version of Terry Pratchett's book which goes by the same title and is the sixth book in his Discworld cycle.

I confess, I think I never read a book by him. Or maybe I have (I know that in my childhood we got a lot of popular books read, but that memory is hazy). Pratchett stays a big name in the fantasy world.

This animation doesn't look the best (although it stands out, meaning you won't mix it with something else, I suppose?), but I swear, the dialogues and voice acting is what made it work for me. Especially the play on words etc. And the characters are very distinctive, not because they look different, but it's how they act. 

I know the Discworld is very massive and basically doesn't follow the singular plotline in which case the books can be read as stand-alones. And I'm aware that the animation may be the adaptation that does not follow the book to a t.

But I'm super glad I stumbled upon this by accident and gave it a chance. I won't set flags by saying - I will try reading Pratchett. Maybe I should, after all it promises a better read than a lot of trashy stuff I feed my brain.

And I miss fantasy as a genre. I always feel that I'm not really lucky with it, the epic fantasy I mean, since I've read book and reviewed some that had fantasy elements (meaning I don't pick up books that will make me feel close to what I want to see in epic fantasy), also I miss the type of fantasy that has magic and spells and all types of creatures and lots of it. And immersive colorful world that will not be heavy, more exciting. I wish too much ahaha

[Historical Romance] The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury’s to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne’er-do-wells by night. Now there’s a new item on the list. He needs an heir—which means he needs a wife. When Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress, appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, he decides on the spot that she’ll do.

His terms are simple:

- They will be husband and wife by night only.

- No lights, no kissing.

- No questions about his battle scars.

- Last, and most importantly… Once she’s pregnant with his heir, they need never share a bed again.

But Emma is no pushover. She has a few rules of her own:

- They will have dinner together every evening.

- With conversation.

- And unlimited teasing.

- Last, and most importantly… Once she’s seen the man beneath the scars, he can’t stop her from falling in love…

Girl Meets Duke. Book 1

Was it a trashy novel? Unmistakenly.

But did I have fun? Absolutely.

The thing is this novel hardly passes as a historical romance. Outside the fact that author confessed to name badminthon earlier than the real name of it appeared, this book reads as modern one.

It's not only about the words they use, it's about how they talk.

But modern contemporary romance would not allow a plotline like that. Which is absolutely bonkers.

The relationships in this one are quite shallow, although author tries to insist on the opposite.

I still had my fun with this ridiculous novel because of those dialogues between FMC and MMC. They are not realistic at all, my brain simply separated them from the plot that is so ridiculous.

I'm the raccoon of my pile, I can sniff the trashiness, because basically the story starts right away and it's outside the scope of my imagination. Emma comes to him demanding to be paid for her work on his ex-fiancee's dress (don't question details from here on out, because there's too much to ask) and she refused to back down in front of a duke whose face (by his own words) scares children into hysterics. On the contrary our girl is unlike anyone else and sees him as manly or a good ass.

Ash needed a wife and soon (what's the hurry who knows, we don't even know his age..I believe, but I repeat, don't question the details) and Emma seems to be just right.

Seamstress to Duchess doesn't surprise anyone.

His reason for this marriage may not be that dumb, but hers is. You go girl. She knows she may get a house where she can help a young girl who was deceived to.. basically deceive others. Because she was pregnant, couldn't confess to her loving father and wanted to conceal the fact of her pregnancy and birth. No exploration from Emma's side into the loving father, she acts just because of the girl's words. Just because she was thrown out like that once. Remarkable, but as turned out off the mark.

So they marry within a week. And they procede to procreate (not my word, direct quote).

Honestly they have that insta-lust from the first touch. Which eventually turns into love because well, they don't need much, they just treat each other as human beings, while other wither betrayed or did something hurtful.

The only good side to modernity of their conversations from the get-go is the fact that they communicated a lot and did not have misunderstandings. The two times they did it felt so forced, like please. I laughed so hard. But they needed a conflict to confirm their feelings so here we are.

Ash acted like a mixed media, sometimes he's an utter ass, sometimes he can be nice.

In the end both admited that all the previous rules they decided to invent for their marriage did not work and they love each other.

I have no idea why someone mentions Pride and Prejudice, because of his smashed mirror I thought of Beauty and the Beast. She comes, she heal, happy ending.

What I also find quite flat is Emma's relationship with future protagonists of their own books. Honestly, we know nothing about them outside of bare minimum, their name and occupations. But the friendship aspect that author tried to promote fell flat to me, because their connection was so thin. Penny invited Emma just out of the blue, Emma liked this small circle of "outcasts" thus she stayed. I always find the supporting female friendship cute, but I honestly wished more, but since this novel is the level of flat floor surface I couldn't do anything if it felt shallow.

Very contrasting experience. Maybe because I switched off my perception of everything else outside of joke. You can't convince me that this is something more than an average fun book that is totally not serious. If one will find the jokes and everything else crude, I can see that too. I kinda clicked with the humor, so I was done with this book in no time.

Maybe later I will collect another post for short reviews, I've been on a search lately and had more to the collection of historical mystery with couples (as I call it). And I think I will do it after I'll filter through several Korean novels I found lately. As for Chinese novels as my main food, I'm not in the mood for any of the bookmarked I have.

RATE: 3/5.

[NOVEL] A Slash of Emerald by Patrice McDonough

London, 1867: Among the genteel young ladies of London society, painting is a perfectly acceptable pastime—but a woman who dares to pursue art as a profession is another prospect, indeed. Dr. Julia Lewis, familiar with the disrespect afforded women in untraditional careers, is hardly surprised when Scotland Yard shows little interest in complaints made by her friend, Mary Allingham, about a break-in at her art studio. Mary is just one of many “lady painters” being targeted by vandals.

 

Painters’ sitters are vanishing, too—women viewed by some as dispensable outcasts. Inspector Richard Tennant, however, takes the attacks seriously, suspecting they’re linked to the poison-pen letters received by additional members of the Allingham family. For Julia, the issue is complicated by Tennant’s previous relationship with Mary’s sister-in-law, Louisa, and by her own surprising reaction to that entanglement.

 

But when someone close to them commits suicide and a young woman turns up dead, the case can no longer be so easily ignored by ‘respectable’ society. Layer after layer, Julia and Tennant scrape away the facts of the case like paint from a canvas. What emerges is a somber picture of vice, depravity, and deception stretching from London’s East End to the Far East—with a killer at its center, determined to get away with one last, grisly murder . . . 

Dr. Julia Lewis. Book 2

I must say I don't agree with this official synopsis. It's better not to read it all-together. Partially it's true what is said, but partially it gives attention to something that wasn't the central part of the book for a very long time.

There are several episodic instances that lead us to what we explore in this book:

- Julia is asked by Tennant to observe a girl Annie O'Neill who was arrested and was suspected to prostitute, but happened to be a female model for painters;

- A horrific incident on the lake in Regent's Park (real incident) where Julia comes across the Allingham family (fake characters of course);

- Mary Allingham's studio has been vandillized by the unknown person, there are blackmailing letter addressed to almost every female painter and as we know - sitters too (above-mentioned Annie O'Neill) So the story starts from a slash of emerald;

And then happened the suicide, which was the first layer to scrape off.

I find this book more interesting in general. First book was more a book of revenge with a pretty depressing tone. Doesn't mean this has fun topic, on the contrary. But author doesn't shy away from them to produce some posh literature without any of the gruesome details. First book pretty much reflected the script of a movie where the main perpetrator won't be discovered until the very end, because they need to finish what they started. It kinda made sense in my head. With this one we have no killer's POV, we have a real case that developed pretty fast with the help of many.

A plethora of characters move this plto forward.

Of course if you're keen on things you will notice some of those early on and have your answer.

I will repeat myself but I love this idea of connecting reality and fiction. Some of events are real, as well as participants, some simply inspired this book.

Although it is indeed sad, but this book at least was not without some positive sides.

I just don't want to spoil it too much, because at least some of it came as a surprise for me and in mysteris it's essential to keep the main secret.

Also Julia and Richard may have some progress, but again it's very subtle, fitting their era.

And it's not as dramatic as the synopsis showed. Julia had no idea about the real connection between Richard and Louisa Allingham. All she knew that they knew each other and Louisa relied on Richard a lot when they met again. Indeed, she had her own thoughts on this, which again were subtle and not straight to the point. (e.g. she would never look at Louisa hanging on Richard's arm and say - bitch, get away from my man, I was eyeing him first).

But both of them were kinda circling around undecided. You might find it annoying, I don't. This book is at least more opened on affection instead of subtlety of the first one, especially Richard who dreams of Julia, nothing dirty, just him thinking how it would look like if she was by his side in a daily life. Yet I will repeat myself that I'm really not mad at their lack of "progress". Their progress is also a progress. They need time, even if they feel connection.

The third book will be the final ("Murder by Moonrise" I believe), planned release next year in February (at least that's in acknowledgements that Patrice signed for three books, if this series will get a continuation after that who knows).

RATE: 5/5.

[Korean BG novel] The Duchess and The Devil 악마를 교화하는 방법 by Mongsu 몽슈

This novel is present on NU and I already left a review there, but I wanted to vent on my own blog as well.

Summary: After few years in loveless marriage, Judith saw her husband's health decline and after few weeks he died. But an interesting thing happened, he "revived" in few days, which shocked everyone and Judith especially. Can't he die in peace? But soon she found out that the one who returned is not her husband at all.

No way~ *sarcastic*

I once again wrote my own synopsis of this, because the way Koreans write blurbs is unbearable, or it is not translated well.

And these deceptive covers!

In general, this book is like 50% corn* and 50% plot that is not really interesting and imo means not much because it is interspersed with corn so much (*c=p).

So it's perfect for those who prefer more spice, which is not for me. 

The story covers the period right after the funeral. When her new husband awakens and she realizes that he is not her previous husband. We find out he is a devil, literally. He confesses himself. And they make a deal.

It's all spoilers actually, but some details are easily picked up early on.

Judith hated her husband Derrick/Dereck, he was a cheating bastard who could not go without flirting or chasing skirts all day. Their marriage was an arranged one and she was not disillusioned. He tried to flirt with her like with other women, but it left her not impressed. And then her husband acted like those men who slide into DMs and try to flirt, but if you don't answer in the same way they call you a whore and you should be thankful fo rtheir attention, because he's so good.

Her husband cheated on their marriage night, because she acted cold with him. I mean I can't blame her. And after that he fell in love with a woman and was like possessed. He could only see that woman.

There is a story behind it, which Judith had no idea about, she basically was humiliated by his cheating and although no one said a word into her face directly, but the innuendos were countless. Not to mention that they actually never consummated their marriage.

So after few years like that he dies suddenly with no true reason why his health declined. Judith is now alone but her husband is revived. She finds out from him that he bears the same name and he is a devil. There is a trick to kill a devil - confine him to the mortal body. But the one who betrayed him seems to be in the human body now as well.

We later find out it's that mistress Sylvia, who looks like an innocent deer lost in the woods.

But Derrick can return his mana, because they're devils they can do it through sex. Judith agreed, because she wanted a heir, so she can become a dowager and live without troubles.

This is where the entire amount of sex comes from.

This is the part where I got tired of it and skipped. No worries, the ending actually brings up and explains what was missed. Though maybe the wiser choice was to stick to it (plot and skip all the 19+), but I don't regret.

Because they knew the traitor is among the people they know they actually had three suspects. Author tried to throw shade on all of them, but it was kinda obvious too.

Among them there was her brother, who just changed his way because he cared for his sister. Emperor who has always been a sleazy guy and Sylvia.

From what I caught Judith did not participate when the two fought (as if they did it behind the scenes).

Later Derrick returns, but as a different person. Which I think is great. It will sound awful, but I thought it's good for Judith to not be tied to the previous husband with a child, which she lost. Of course it's bad for her and Derrick would have accepted the kid anyway. But they had a new beginning.

Oh yeah, kind a nice touch in a way, that Sylvia's dad spread rumors about her, she was proven innocent, but it did not stop him. Her reputation always had setbacks because of her husband and his mistress, it was haunting. Although she felt sympathetic, but she stood her ground against him, proclaiming how his daughter seduced her husband and she was no innocent in this. Because the body possessed by a devil will die when the devil's soul will leave the body, thus Derrick and Sylvia were dead when they fought.

Although the premise (as I found out) is not new. Basically there are stories with the same setting of husbands awakening and they're not like before or different people. This kinda had potential, but I did not expect much from it and I didn't get much in the end.

Outside the motivation to have a child, it actually explains a lot of the past events that shaped her as she is now. And pretty much explains her hatered for her husband. I mean her husband is HAUNTING the poor girl. All his actions made her lose her own confidence with time. She also could not handle so much of inquiring eyes from the public, so she stayed mostly cooped up at home. Her life really reflected his actions.

And some commented that she shouldn't have acted so coldly, but I think she should not act like a rag with a cheating husband like that. Even if we later find out that he was bewitched. In which case she couldn't have done a thing. But I believe the way he was, even without Sylvia, he would have cheated multiple times and cause her only anguish. Because this is how her ex-husband was.

In general it is an okay story I suppose. But again, the balance was tilted because of how much of corny stuff was there. The plot moved at the turtle speed because of that.

My problem with such novels with so much corn leave me with one afterthought - why should I care? The fact that he is a demon, there is something going on in his world, but he chooses her instead is all nice and dandy, but honestly partially I couldn't care about the settings. The fact that devils can recuperate their mana through sex sounds so silly to me, just an excuse on the abundant amount of sex scenes.

Whatever.

RATE: 2/5.

[NOVEL] King of Greed by Ana Huang

Well, I'm starting to type this when I'm 59% in and it's been going hard. And partially I need to vent some of it out of my system.

He had her, he lost her…and he’ll do anything to win her back.

Powerful, brilliant, and ambitious, Dominic Davenport clawed his way up from nothing to become the King of Wall Street.

He has everything—a beautiful home, a beautiful wife, and more money than he could spend in a lifetime. But no matter how much he accumulates, he’s never satisfied.

In his endless quest for more, he drives away the only person who saw him as enough.

It isn’t until she’s gone that he realizes there may be more to life than riches and glory…but by then, it may be too late.

***

Kind, intelligent, and thoughtful, Alessandra Davenport has played the role of trophy wife for years.

She stood by her husband while he built an empire, but now that they’ve reached the top, she realizes he’s no longer the man she fell for.

When it becomes clear that she’ll always come second to his work, she finally takes charge of her life and puts herself first—even if it means leaving the only man she’s ever loved.

But what she didn’t count on was his refusal to let her go…or for him to fight for their marriage, no matter what it takes.

Kings of Sin. Book 3

This book has a setting that I'm not really a fan of - lack of communication among couples, which leads to divorces.

And the two times when Alessandra asked herself if things wuold have been different if she spoke up more about their problems.

And I would tell her "yes" it would have. You either inform your spouse that you're not happy or he will be a disappointment and you realize that he's an ass that changed and you need to leave him.

My issue with Alessandra became that she admittedly dropped things after the first try. Like she planned for a therapist, but of course Dominic was somewhere, eventually she thought it's pointless and never returned or mentioned it again.

I mentioned this somewhere before - but you have no idea how a frying pan creates wonders, you hit first and then you solve your problems.

The fact that Dominic got too used to Alessandra's silence is not excused by the fact that she did not use the magic of a frying pan on him.

I find that they both contributed. And the point is that they love each other so much. Alessandra may not admit it as often as Dominic in her inner thoughts, but they do, at least Dominic can't immagine himself with anyone else, this is why he goes after his wife to win her back. 

But honestly, it's almost 60% of only their emotional drama and no plot.

"Oh, I'm not happy, let's divorce"

"I will not let you go"

"Let me go"

"I'm signing the divorce papers not because I want to, but because you asked. I will win you back"

Honestly, I'm kinda irritated atm.

But the peak of it did not come from them mulling this topic, but actually an acciden at her new store that is being repaired. EACH FUCKING BOOK. It's not even funny lol how they all have to do something with a deadline and every time there is an accident.

Just keep the track: Vivian was getting ready for her big gala that will boost her career.

Isabella was writing her book and was not done before deadline, of course because of an accident.

Sloane may not have any business to open, instead Xavier was opening a club and they had an accient.

Now Alessandra is ready to open a physical store and they had a flood because a pipe burst out.

Lol is it a template ahahaha

Back to the romance. I finished (it's night the same day, I wrestled it through).

The romance and all that jazz indeed take up to 70% of thi book. It's all same old how they have flashbacks to their past to how they live now. How Dominic stepped back from his job to be with her and chase her back.

But several months later after the divorce Alessandra actually tried to date other men (talking herself she will start getting used to it, she hasn't been on a date in 10 years, outside her husband.. what a weird way to phrase it lol). Left bad taste in my mouth tbh. But of course she couldn't forget Dominic after all. Tbh such a weird change and almost time skip to several weeks of them just banging. Before the girl finally gets it together. She gave him a chance and he took it.

The final part creates the same type of moment to frame this book with similar beginning and ending. At start he chooses his work and forgets his promises, while at the end of course he chooses her.

But honestly, how can a person prove that they will be better. You simply can't you can only go with it for a time. Although I can understand she didn't want to get cozy with Dominic and get her heart hurt the second time. Don't set flags for yourself people.

All in all it is indeed my least favorite situation. Break up, chase, we're together again. They weren't that long apart if you look at it haha.

I just wanted to finish it, so I can finally fill the gap of the 3rd book missing. Felt wrong. Although it's really not obligatory to do that.

Sloane is still my favorite girl and her book is my favorite. Outside these four I am pretty skeptical I want to continue with the series.

5th belongs to the Serb and supermodel Ayana. Honestly Vuk is like this series mascot, almost comical, he is elusive, but he appears on ALL social occasions mentioned in these books. I have no idea why he was mentioned so much. While I think we have no idea who will be the main characters of book 6 and 7. But honestly I kinda don't really care about them because others are OUTSIDE of this fishbowl with four main girls. Vuk appeared for more than for 5 seconds only in the 4th book (of course, right before his own). But what about Ayana, she is always mentioned but we don't see or hear about her at all. I'm really not sure I want to return. These books were easy to read, but were they anywhere near as gripping, not to me. Outside of Book 4. Which is a normal occasion and generally just good to like at least one. But overall not as thrilling to continue. 

RATE: 2/5.

[VIDEO] A Repressed 50s Housewife

This is hillariously fantastic and fantastically hillarious 😂